TSX: Total Snowboard Cross
by Nyhlus
Summary: TSX is the premier snowboard racing league in the world, known for its larger than life stars and constant relationship drama. Nicknamed Total Drama Cross, the league never leaves the tabloids. Tyler is a returning rider looking to prove he belongs. Things get complicated when the biggest star Alejandro shares a secret with him, which may be the story of the season.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

 _"You're listening to Radio Shred as we count down to the start of the new season of TSX: Total Snowboard Cross. My name is DJ Rock, joined as always in the booth by my best friend and cohost Spud, live from the beautiful town of Pahkitew nestled on the foot of Mount Garibaldi in British Columbia, Canada. The forecast for today is a delicious helping of fresh powder so make sure you get out onto the slopes and enjoy as much of it as you can. How does that sound to you Spud?"_

 _"It sounds totally rad dude!"_

 _"I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this whole town is brimming with anticipation to see the riders of TSX race down the tracks pulling off sweet jumps and breakneck turns. There's every reason to believe the third season will be just as filled with exciting action, fierce competitions, and crazy parties, that helped make it the most watched snowboarding event in the world outside the Olympics."_

 _"Woah! There is going to be a new season?"_

 _"Yeah Spud, it is starting in a couple days right here in Pahkitew. We've been doing press about it for months."_

 _"Dude! I can't wait!"_

 _"Neither can anyone else in town. Rumor has it that most of the riders from the men's and women's competition will be arriving today, so keep on the lookout. The league's owner and commissioner Chris McLean has personally guaranteed to me that the TSX season this year will be filled with weeks of the same intrigue and personal struggle that has captivated its viewers and given the league the nickname of TDX, Total Drama Cross."_

 _"Tune in later as we interview rad rider Geoff and see what he and his fellow rider girlfriend Bridgette have been up to in the off season..."_

"Could you turn that down?" Tyler asked. He sat in the back of a taxi.

"You got it," the driver said.

"Thanks." Tyler tried to stretch out his legs, still stiff from the plane ride. He did not need an introduction to the new season of TSX. He was competing in it.

Not that he was used to the idea. Even though this was his second year as a Total Snowboard Cross rider, it felt like his first. His last season had been unexpected. One of the riders, Scott, broke his leg mid-way through the season. Tyler was invited to join as a replacement. It always felt temporary. He fully expected when Scott recovered, he would no longer have a place in the league.

Tyler's confidence was not helped by his riding either. He had hoped to prove he deserved his own place in TSX. Instead, it became clear that the league competed at a different level than him. He finished near the bottom. There were only a few moments he even seemed like a contender. And unlike the other riders near the bottom, he had nothing extra to offer. Owen came in last the last two years, but he was a fan favorite and a face of the league. Plus, Owen's tumultuous relationship with one of the women's riders Izzy was always in the tabloids. Chris, the league's commissioner and owner, loved any and all attention if it made people aware of TSX, even if it was bad. Tyler did not even have that going for him. He could not even fail in an entertaining way.

So, it was a shock when Tyler was invited back. Scott was healthy now, so Tyler was no longer a replacement. This was his shot, a new beginning. It did not matter whether he deserved it. It only mattered that he did not waste it now. He wanted to make a go at it on his terms. He knew he did not have much of a chance to win anything. He just wanted to look like he belonged.

He stared out the taxi window at the narrow streets of Pahkitew. This was where he would be living and competing for the next few months. It was said to be the new Whistler, densely packed with hotels, resorts, nightlife, and, of course, skiing and snowboarding. The real heart of the town was Mount Garibaldi. It was always in view, no matter where you were. It reached up to the clouds, with hundreds of trails carved up its body. And even from the taxi, Tyler could make out some of the tracks that would be used for the TSX races.

As they arrived at the hotel, a sea of paparazzi surrounded the car in front of them. It was one of the older hotels, a classic chateau at the base of the mountain. Tyler tried to peer through the camera flashes, curious who could be attracting such attention. He recognized them immediately. Alejandro pushed through to the front door, his arm draped around the shoulder of his girlfriend Blaineley.

It was hard to imagine a rider more popular than Alejandro. He had won the first TSX men's championship. Since then, he transcended the mountain. Not only were his nike ads everywhere, a cameo on a popular Canadian television show called Weirdo Rippers had turned into a regular role. It was a media sensation when his co-star on the show Blaineley announced they were in a relationship. Especially after rumors had circulated since the beginning of TSX of something between Alejandro and fellow rider Heather.

Once the couple were inside, the paparazzi dissipated. None of them cared when Tyler stepped out. Not that this surprised him. He was actually glad to be left alone. It looked exhausting. The hotel doorman welcomed Tyler friendly enough and gave assurances that his luggage and gear would be taken to the appropriate places.

Tyler was led through the lobby to a conference room. Inside, he was greeted by an unintimidating fellow with medium brown hair, a red cardigan and a silver nametag that marked him as a member of the TSX staff. "Hi Tyler." The man said.

"Hi," Tyler paused and read the nametag. "Noah."

"You can read, great. That's encouraging. Good to know some TSX riders still have braincells left." Noah said. "I'm the Chief Rider Relations Operator for this season. That means if you have any problems or issues involving TSX you can get in contact with me and I'll get one of my team of interns to do all the hard work."

"Cool." Tyler said.

Noah thumbed through a stack of manila envelopes on the table next to him. He grabbed the one with Tyler's name written on the face and handed it to him. . "Here is your welcome packet. In it you will find your room key and room number which is strictly confidential, your mountain pass, TSX rider badge, a map of the hotel and surrounding area, and all sorts of documents detailing the important info you need to know about this upcoming season as a rider, which people worked really hard to make and I'm sure you won't bother reading any of it. You will also find my contact card in there if you need anything."

"Okay. Thanks."

Tyler opened up his package and pulled out his room key which said _506_ on it. He headed up the elevator to his floor, the second from the top. It was easy to find his room. He opened it up to find a full apartment suite. There was a living room with a set of couches, a bedroom with a king-sized bed, a full kitchen, and a mini jacuzzi in the bathroom. It was the nicest hotel room Tyler had ever seen in person, let alone gotten to stay in. It actually felt almost too nice, like he had stepped into the wrong place. He would have almost gone back and checked the room number had he not unlocked the door with his key.

Tyler dumped his care packet onto the coffee table and collapsed onto one of the couches. It had been an exhausting day of travel already. He wanted nothing more than to sink into the couch and not move for the rest of the day, but he knew he still had some work to deal with. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, put it on speaker, placed it onto the coffee table, and began flipping through the pages of his care packet.

"Hello? Tyler?" The voice on the other end said.

"Hey Emma." Tyler replied. Emma was his agent.

"How was the flight?" she asked.

"Alright, a little bumpy but I survived."

"How is the hotel room? They better not have given you a view of the parking lot again. I made it perfectly clear we would not accept that again."

Tyler poked his head up and looked out the window. He had been so enamored by the room, he had not even looked to see what kind of view he had. The windows faced the mountain, which seemed to reach the sky. There was a balcony too. He imagined the view of the mountain must be incredible from it. "No complaints about the room."

"That's good. Okay listen Tyler I have a couple things scheduled for you before the first competition. You have a photoshoot for a magazine ad with Bridgette." Bridgette was a rider in the women's competition. She and Tyler were from the same hometown in Colorado. While he had struggled to find success in the league, she had an abundance, becoming one of the favorites. They shared an endorsement from a local Colorado snowboard goggle company that liked to run ads referring to their roots. It was Tyler's only major sponsor. He imagined Bridgette had over a dozen.

Emma continued: "And Courtney needs a quote for your blurb on the TSX website before the first race." Courtney was the media rep for the league.

"I hate having to give quotes." he said.

"I know Tyler. I have set a time for you to meet with her at the hotel, but don't be surprised if she tracks you down beforehand and asks for one. It will only be a few lines. I can't imagine it will take long. I'll update the calendar on your phone to give you all the details about date and times for these."

"Alright."

"You should take the rest of the day to relax and explore the town. I heard there is a really good Thai restaurant across the street. Stretch those legs. Don't just lounge in your room. Meet up with some of your rider friends or something," she said.

"Come on Emma. You know you are my only friend."

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard you say."

It was a joke, but it wasn't that far from the truth. He had not formed any meaningful bonds with the other riders. When he came into the last season halfway through, the rider cliques were already formed at that point. It was probably a good thing to go walk around, the stiffness in his legs had still not gone away. He looked over the map of the hotel and saw there was a coffee shop connected to the hotel. He could use a coffee.

"Alright, thanks Emma. I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Try to take it easy, but remember the first competition is in less than a week. Talk to you later."

Tyler hung up the phone. He left his care packet on the table, headed out of his hotel room, and down into the main lobby of the hotel. The coffee shop was off to the side, next to a hotel bar and a convenience store. It looked nice, if a bit generic. There were a few tables to sit, but the coffee shop looked like it was designed for people to grab and go with their coffee.

Tyler walked up to the main counter, since there was no line. He looked up at the chalk board hanging on the wall behind the counter to see what his options were and whether it was acceptable here just to ask for a medium coffee.

"Hi! What can I get you?"

Tyler looked down to see a young woman barista standing across from him with a large smile on her face. She was gorgeous. A bombshell with her blonde hair tied back with a bandana. He was taken aback, caught by her soft blue eyes.

"Hello?" She said with a confused look on her face.

"Oh, ah, sorry. Medium coffee."

"Coming right up!" She turned and began preparing his coffee. "It's pretty exciting right?"

"Huh?"

"All these TSX riders coming to stay here." She said. "It is so cool right? Getting to meet all of them. I don't really follow it, but just to have celebrities staying here. We've never had something like that before. Blaineley was in here not that long ago. I see her on tv all the time! She's even prettier In person."

"Yeah. I guess it is neat." Tyler wondered if he should mention that he was actually one of those TSX riders, but decided against it. It was actually kind of nice that she did not recognize him.

"Are you staying here for a while or just passing through?" She asked. She handed him his coffee.

"I'll be here a while." Tyler said.

"Well I'm Lindsay."

"Tyler."

"Lindsay!" The other barista behind the counter called out. A stout girl with glasses and braces. "Stop socializing and help the next customer!" Tyler glanced over his shoulder to see a small line had formed behind him.

"Sorry, Beth." Lindsay said. "Be sure to come back."

"Yeah, I will."

Tyler took a sip from his coffee and headed out the coffee shop. He paused in the doorway to get one last glance at Lindsay. He then took another sip of his coffee. It was the worst coffee he had ever had. He had to suppress a gag. He took a moment to examine the cup, as if it would give him an indication of why it tasted so bad, only to push it out of his mind. All he wanted was the caffeine anyways, and Lindsay had been so nice, so he forced himself to continue drinking it.

Tyler headed back up to his room. He was alone in the elevator. When the doors opened on the fifth floor, he was surprised to see Blaineley standing there. The actress looked different from before. The glamor of the red carpet was gone. She looked upset. Tense. Her arms were crossed. Her hair was frayed. Her shoulders jutted forward. She stormed into the elevator without giving Tyler a chance to leave. "I can't believe this," she said under her breath, without acknowledging Tyler's presence. Awkwardly he stepped past her through the door. He caught just a brief glimpse of her face. It was red, close to tears.

The elevator doors closed behind him and Tyler paused for a moment. He wondered what could have happened. He'd never seen a celebrity like that. She looked shaken and emotional. Tyler had to steady his thoughts and remind himself it was none of his business. Celebrities have lives too, even if it sometimes does not feel that way.

He returned to his room, dropped his keys next to his care package, sat down on the couch, and tried to stomach more of his coffee. He had stretched his legs, but only for a moment. He knew Emma would not think it was enough. He remembered looking at the balcony during their call and thought it might be nice to see the view.

He stepped outside and peered up at the mountain. Garibaldi was something else. From the balcony Tyler could see it in its entirety. He leaned down against the railing and really tried to take as much of the view in as he could. It was breathtaking. Tyler felt lucky in that moment. Lucky to be there. His job was to ride down something so beautiful. Not to mention it allowed him to live in a place like this. Even if he didn't win anything, just getting here was an accomplishment.

"Quite the view, huh?"

Tyler nearly jumped as he turned to the balcony next to his own. It was Alejandro. The star rider leaned forward on the railing, smoking a cigarette. Alejandro must have the hotel room next to his. Alejandro's face was forward, staring up at the mountain. His hair was tied back in a rough bun. Strands of his usually perfectly kept hair dangled in front of his face.

"It is like a sleeping beast." Alejandro said. "It only allows us to ride down so long as we do not disrupt its slumber."

"Uh, yeah." Tyler said. Alejandro sounded somber. Tyler did not know how to respond. "I didn't know you smoked."

"I only smoke when I am stressed." Alejandro said.

"Is everything okay? I saw Blaineley on the elevator. She looked upset." Tyler said.

"No. Things are not okay. We just broke up."

"Ah. That sucks." Tyler took an awkward sip of his coffee. He figured Alejandro probably wanted some space, so he stepped back, about to go inside, but Alejandro continued to speak.

"She's convinced Heather and I are still a thing. Thinks I've been hiding it from her."

"Still? You and Heather were a thing?" Tyler had heard rumors, but there had never been anything more than that. "When did that happen?"

"Last season. Then Heather dumped me." Alejandro said.

"How many people know about it?" Tyler asked.

"No one does. Just myself, Heather and Blaineley. And now you, Tyler my friend, are the lucky fourth person to know."

Tyler was not sure if he would call himself lucky. "Why are you telling me?"

"I don't know." Alejandro took a long drag from his cigarette. "Guess I'm just in a sharing mood. Besides you don't seem the type to go running to the presses. And even if you did, it would only be the second worst mistake I made today."

"I won't tell anyone." Tyler said.

"Glad to hear it."

Alejandro continued to stare off at the mountain. He looked surprisingly calm, but Tyler could tell it was affecting him. Alejandro usually gave an impression of total confidence. Right then he looked to be barely keeping it all together. A part of Tyler wanted to comfort him, but Tyler barely knew Alejandro. This was the most they had ever spoken. So instead Tyler took the silence as his cue to leave. He slowly stepped back and headed into his hotel room. No matter what, this new season was going to be something completely different from the last. Tyler was no longer just a sideline observer. He was right in the mix of things. Whether he wanted to be there or not.

 _Afterword:_

 _This is a story inspired by an old story Bardic Jester and I wrote for the SSX fandom a long time ago, but now with a lot of TDI twists! We hope you liked it!_

 _Please leave a review._

 _Till Next Time –Nyhlus and BJ_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Tyler stood with his back against Bridgette. They both had their arms cross in an intimidating stance. A camera flashed repeatedly in front of them. A crew of people hurried around behind the camera. Tyler was covered in sweat; he wore his full snowboarding gear as multiple hot lights shone down on him. It was the photoshoot for the magazine ad. His sponsor, a goggle company from his hometown, wanted the ad out for the beginning of the season. It was Tyler's only piece of media in the run up to the first race. Luckily for him, it would be over soon.

"Okay I think we got it!" The photographer said looking up from the camera. "You two can relax. But stay there until we've checked the photos." A group formed behind the camera and a major discussion began between them.

Tyler relaxed his body and unzipped the parka he was wearing.

"This sucks right?" Bridgette said, though she seemed perfectly comfortable. He imagined she was used to this kind of thing. He'd seen her in dozens of ads. While the goggles were his only endorsement, every part of her gear was claimed.

"Yeah," Tyler agreed.

He'd never been good at small talk with Bridgette. They might have been from the same hometown, but Tyler did not really know her at all. She was a star from a young age, always travelling to competitions around the country. Tyler was a bit of a late bloomer. They knew enough to acknowledge each other, but not much more.

"Did you get a chance to go back home in the offseason?" Bridgette asked.

"Course," Tyler replied.

"What did you get up to?" She pressed.

"Spent most of it helping my dad. He runs a landscaping company. What about you?"

She shook her head, looking almost forlorn. "Nope. I didn't get a chance." Then she perked back up. "But I had a great offseason. I spent a month surfing in Hawaii. It was beautiful. I spent almost every day at Honolii Beach. Then, I met up with a humanitarian group and travelled all around Sub-Saharan Africa. It was an incredible and eye-opening experience. When that was done, Redbull called with an idea to do a video series combining surfing, snowboarding, and environmental awareness. We travelled to Japan, Chile, and Australia. It was a lot of work, but I think we made something special."

"That's really impressive," Tyler said.

"Thanks. I try to do my part. It's so easy to forget about the world out there, when you're so focused on something like TSX. It's also given me a chance to rejuvenate and get a balanced body and mind for the season," Bridgette said.

"Totally," he said. She didn't seem too rejuvenated to him, but a photoshoot was nowhere to make that judgement. It was amazing what opportunities big endorsements provided. A lot of doors opened for her when she won the first season of TSX in the women's competition. He could not even imagine how much his life would change in that position. Despite being in the same league, her world felt unattainably far from him.

"How did Geoff enjoy all of that?" Tyler asked.

Bridgette's demeanor changed again. "Oh, he didn't come along. To be honest, I barely saw him. He was busy doing his own thing."

"Like what?"

It took her a moment to respond. "Honestly, I'm not sure. He spent most of it at Lake Tahoe. We tried to text, but he'd just tell me about partying with his bros. I was so busy, it became kind of a chore." She forced a smile. "I think he might have visited Miami for a bit, but I'm not even sure."

Tyler was surprised by the candid answer. They might have their hometown connection, but that was it. They'd never had a real conversation before. If she was willing to open up to him, he wondered how deep the feelings cut inside her. Bridgette and Geoff had built a reputation of being the only stable and happy TSX couple. They had miraculously avoided the tabloid drama, that sometimes overwhelmed the TSX coverage. But Tyler guessed everyone was human, even them.

"That sucks," he said.

"Yeah," she acknowledged.

After they finished, Tyler grabbed a taxi back towards the hotel. The photoshoot had taken place on the outskirts of town in an old industrial building. Chris had transformed it into a media studio for outside press and sponsors to use.

"Would you like to listen to the radio?" The driver asked.

"Go ahead." Tyler said.

 _"And we're back! You're listening to Radio Shred! As always, my name is DJ Rock joined by my bestest bud and cohost Spud. With the first race of the TSX season right around the corner we're going to take a deep dive into this upcoming season: what are the storylines going into this season, who are the favorites, and what are some surprises to look out for. To do this we have a special guest in the booth. Welcome TSX expert and television pundit Harold to the show, who you can catch every Sunday evening on his Sportsnet show 'The Revenge of Powder H'."_

 _"Glad to be here."_

 _"Now Harold, for anyone not familiar with TSX take us through the first couple seasons of TSX."_

 _"Sure. This is the third season of TSX. The first season champions were Alejandro and Bridgette. Two riders who cemented their spots at the very top of the sport and popularity. For the second season, there were more polarizing figures who became champions, with Lightning and Josee winning. Neither were the favorite coming into the final race."_

 _"Now for this third season let's look into what to watch for and expect. Give us an overview of each of the competitions, starting with the men's."_

 _"The men's competition really comes down to five riders: Alejandro, Lightning, Geoff, Duncan or DJ. You can expect every final to consist of some combination of those five. Lightning will be looking to prove that his victory was not a fluke. Alejandro was very close last season of achieving back to back championships and will be looking to put himself back up top. Geoff the party guy, Duncan the resident bad boy, and the laid-back DJ will all be looking to avenge the embarrassment of having Lightning beat them last season and will be hungry for their first championship. No offense to the other riders Brick, Scott, Brody, Jacques, Tyler, Owen and the rookie Junior, but they don't have a chance in hell."_

It did kind of annoy Tyler that this comment would probably be the only mention of him in this entire broadcast.

 _"What about the women's competition? Take us through it."_

 _"The women's competition is a much more wide-open field. It is hard to predict who will win because really every rider has a chance. Don't be surprised to see to a completely different set of riders competing in each final. Any self-respecting TSX fan knows that the women's competition is the better competition. Josee got in some controversy at the end of last season for some of the harsh words she had for her competition, she'll be looking to prove herself once again on the mountain to quiet all the backlash she has received. Bridgette had a disappointing second season and while she remains the most popular women's rider, she will be looking for a bounce back season. The real rider to watch though is Heather. Most pundits when TSX started felt she would dominate and that has yet to happen. She will be the most hungry to win. But again any number of the other riders Izzy, Eva, Jasmine, Sky, Jo, MacArthur, Sanders, Stephanie and even rookie Carrie, all have a chance to win."_

 _"Thanks Harold! I can't be possibly be more excited for this season to start. Any thoughts Spud?_

 _"How do you know if a grilled cheese is the right way up?"_

 _"We're talking about TSX Spud, not lunch."_

 _"Sorry dude. I must be hungry."_

The taxi pulled up to the hotel and Tyler got out. He headed into the lobby. Next on his calendar was a meeting with Courtney, the media rep for the league. It said to meet her in the front of the hotel. He was a bit early, so he took a seat on a couch and tried to make himself visible. He hated doing media. It made him so anxious that he might say the wrong thing. They never cared about him anyway. The media only paid attention to the stars. He did not shine bright enough for them.

The radio program bugged him more than he liked to admit. It was typical of the handling of the league. There were a few names worth paying attention to. Everyone else was just background. He might not have minded it if there weren't consequences. He spent his time between the summer working for his dad. Comparing that to the kind of life Bridgette or Alejandro enjoyed, it was like night and day. Having a sponsor like Nike or Redbull created endless possibilities.

"Ah Tyler!" Courtney said walking up to him with a clipboard under her arm. "You're early. That almost never happens." Courtney took a seat on the couch opposite him and took a tape recorder out. Courtney was the media rep for the league and in charge of all official press. "Ready for that quote? It will only take a minute. Just say what you want into the recorder."

Even with Emma's warning he had still not even taken the time to come up with something to say. "What is this for again?"

"We are doing introductory rider profiles on the website and we just need a couple sentences for a personal quote blurb we will stick under your photo." Courtney said.

Tyler sighed. "Okay. Uh, how about: I'm looking forward to my first full season at TSX. I intend to prove I'm more than just a replacement."

Courtney shrugged. "That will do."

"It's not a very good quote is it?" Tyler asked.

"There were worse. All Duncan gave me was his phone number. Super professional. Joke will be on him when I publish it for everyone to see." Courtney put her tape recorder away in her bag. "That's it, thanks Tyler."

"That's it? That's all your getting from the riders?" Tyler asked.

"Come on Tyler. You know how these things work. Just a quote or two for the small guys and big interviews with the stars. I had a full hour long interview scheduled with Alejandro this morning but he was a no show. Typical for those hot shots."

Tyler wondered why he even bothered asking. It was another reminder of how the riders lived in different worlds. Except, this time Tyler knew Alejandro's absence was not because of his prima donna profile. Alejandro was probably still reeling from his break up with the television star Blaineley. Tyler imagined news of the break up would be the single biggest scoop of the season if he shared it with Courtney. For a moment, he imagined how much more of a spotlight it would give him, if he said something about it. Sure, the person to spill the beans would likely only be mentioned in the fine print, but it would still be more than most of the coverage he had received so far. But, just as soon as the thought came to his head, he pushed it out. Alejandro trusted him. Tyler did not know why. It was probably the same reason Bridgette had been candid with him before. Whatever the reason may have been, he did not want to throw it away. Right now, it was all he had.

"Alright. Well good luck with your race." Courtney stood up and stepped away.

Tyler checked his phone for the next thing on his calendar. There was a notification that the course for the first race had just been opened up for the riders to practice on. He knew he needed to do a few runs and shake off his offseason of rust. But, before he hit the slopes, he needed a coffee.

When Tyler entered the coffee shop he saw there was a long line. He took his place at the back of it and waited. It was moved slowly and he considered forgoing coffee, but when he looked up at the counter and saw Lindsay working behind it, he decided to stay. She looked equal parts hurried and frantic. She desperately tried to get everyone's order done with a smile on her face that could have melted all the snow off Garibaldi.

Tyler could take solace that he did not need to talk to anymore press until the race. He still felt awkward talking to any kind of press. It was still something he was getting used to. Even when he won competitions prior to being picked for TSX he would rarely get much attention. He figured he just did not have that spark other riders had. It was still a few minutes until finally Tyler got to the counter. Lindsay's face seemed to light up when she turned around and saw him.

"Hey." Tyler said.

"Hey! Taylor!"

"Tyler."

"Huh?"

"My name is Tyler."

"Oh right. Sorry Tyler. What can I get you?"

"Medium coffee."

"Coming right up!" Lindsay turned around and started to make his coffee. "Isn't it exciting? The first TSX race is going to happen soon." She did not need to remind Tyler. "I'm thinking I will try to follow it this year, but I don't have a favorite yet. I'm trying to figure out who to cheer for."

Tyler wanted to tell her she should cheer for him. The idea of her excitedly watching the race, hoping for him to win, was a comforting thought. But it was pointless. She did not even knew he was a rider. He could tell her, but it felt embarrassing to mention it now. Plus, what kind of a fate was cheering for him? She'd be doomed to be constantly let down with each new failure, each disappointing finish, each time he faded into the shadow, eclipsed by the light of the other riders.

"I heard the Alejandro guy is really good. I've seen him in a bunch of magazines with Blaineley too. I was thinking he'd be the best person to support. What do you think?" Linsday asked as she handed him his coffee.

"That's a good idea." Tyler said. "I think he could probably use some support right now."

"Huh?"

"Lindsay!" Beth called out from the other side of the counter. "Stop chitchatting! The line is out the door!"

"Sorry!"

It had to be Alejandro. It was always someone like Alejandro. Tyler could not even begrudge her for it either. Alejandro was a good choice. He was a better rider than Tyler. Tyler could not compete.

Tyler took his coffee back to his hotel room and prepped for his practice. It was truly amazing how much Lindsay made him forget just how awful a product he was buying. Still he needed the energy. This was going to be the first major practice runs he would get in since arriving. He knew his muscles were going to be stiff and he would be hurting for a while afterwards.

As one of the TSX riders, Tyler got the special perk of not having to take the normal lift up the mountain. Instead the TSX riders got a personal snowmobile taxi up to course provided to them. At the top was the riders lodge, designed specifically for the TSX riders. Inside was the men's locker rooms. There were personalized stalls for each rider with their gear laid out. Even Tyler had to admit it was pretty sweet. It reminded him of locker rooms shown on espn after nba games. Facilities like this made him appreciate that he really was competing at such a high level.

Once he was fully geared up, he headed to the course. A TSX course consisted of a number of sharp turns and jumps down the mountain. It was important for him to get familiar with the layout of the course. When competing he would be wrestling for space down the track with three other riders. So, he needed to figure out spots that he could use to cut inside and overtake someone, or an angle off a jump to get him in the best spot to hit the next turn.

The first few times Tyler went down the track were rough. A few of the jumps were causing him trouble. He could not quite stick the landing. It wasn't that they were difficult. He felt as though he was flinging himself forward, lacking precision and control.

There were a couple jumps he had real difficulty sticking the landing. His frustration grew with each wipeout. It was not that these jumps were all that hard, he was thinking too far ahead and needed to focus on just making the landing. Once he got over that he started to feel a bit more confident.

For the first few hours he had the track to himself but eventually other riders started practicing as well. The first one was Duncan, who made things a bit more difficult.

"Out of my way loser." Duncan said shoving Tyler down at the start. "Make way for riders who actually have a chance of winning."

Duncan was one rider who had always had a bad reputation. He was an aggressive rider who was known to throw elbows and do whatever it takes to win. His 'I don't give a fuck' attitude though had made him very popular. He was also really good. Frustratingly good.

"Ignore him." Owen, one of the other riders said offering Tyler his hand and helped pick him back up to his feet.

"Wow, Owen, you are actually practicing?" Tyler was a bit surprised to see him. Owen never had a good work ethic, often partying late into the evening the night before a major competition.

"I'm a rider aren't I? Come on, let's practice together." Owen said.

Owen was a big guy. That was his one major advantage. He would go down tracks like a wrecking ball, it was impossible to get past him. Unfortunately for him, he was usually behind everyone else.

They practiced together for a hour, until Tyler was pretty wiped. He could already feel his body was done. All those crashes in the beginning had really taken their toll.

"I'm going to call it here."

"Hey! Let's get go grab a drink!" Owen said. "There's a decent bar not far from the hotel. Come on, I'll show you."

Tyler was not one for drinking with such a major event coming up. He did not want to waste a day of prep by being hungover. He needed all the prep he could use. However, it was nearly impossible to say no to Owen. Tyler had learned there was little point in arguing.

They rode down the mountain on the same snowmobile. The bar was only a few doors down from the hotel. It was a cozy pub with a wooden aesthetic. It was mostly empty, though it was still early.

"Hey Ryan!" Owen called out to the bartender as they found a table to sit.

"Hey Owen. The usual?" Ryan asked.

"You got it!"

"I'll just have a pint of whatever lager you have." Tyler said. They had been there less than a week and Owen had apparently already on a first name basis with the bartender here and had a regular order.

"I'm telling you." Owen said. "New season, New Owen. Sure, I got last place the first two seasons, but not this season. I won't be falling into the same traps as last year."

Ryan arrived at their table and placed a pint glass in front of Tyler. Then he put down two full pitchers of beer in front of Owen and an empty glass.

"I think that is good Owen." Tyler said. "What about Izzy?" Those two had had a turbulent on and off relationship. They were both terrible influences on each other. Their escapades were often all over the tabloids: crazy late-night binges, trashed hotel rooms, drunken debauchery at official TSX events. Izzy was somehow able to still be a top rider even with all the distractions and substance abuse. Owen on the other hand was not, and his terrible results reflected that.

Owen shook his head. "No more Izzy. We are done. For good. I've got to focus on me."

"That's good to hear."

"Guys like us, we're a different breed as guys like Duncan. We've got to really pull our bootstraps up to even get noticed and prove ourselves. They don't know the struggles like we do."

"I don't know. Talking to Alejandro. He's got struggles too."

"Since when were you and Alejandro buddies?"

"Uh, He has the room next to mine in the hotel."

"Hey I think that's great. The more guys we can get on our side the better." Owen said having already drank down a good portion of the first pitcher. "This is going to be our year man! Finally prove that we belong!"

Tyler was a bit unsure whether he liked the fact that Owen was grouping him together with Owen. Tyler had done poorly last season, but he did much better than Owen. Plus, Owen seemed like a nice guy. But there was a dark side to him too. His words felt a little hollow. Sure, Owen was practicing, but only did for half the time Tyler did, and now they were at a bar while Owen was just throwing back all this beer. He hoped he was wrong and Owen really was making a new attempt. Tyler hoped the same could be said of himself and that this season would be different for him too.

…

 _Afterword:_

 _Thanks for reading. We hope you liked it!_

 _Please leave a review._

 _Till Next Time –Nyhlus and BJ_


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